Trolling motors are widely utilized in recreational fishing activities to enable fisherman to propel fishing boats quietly at slow speeds to thereby enable fishermen to cover areas of lakes, streams, bays, etc. and to engage in fishing activities during propulsion of the boat. Typically trolling motors are provided with a bracket for attachment to the bow or stern of a fishing boat or other such vessel and have an elongate shaft extending through the motor support bracket with an electric motor and propeller mechanism fixed at the lower end of the shaft. In most cases the motor shaft is vertically slidable within the motor support bracket so that the electric motor and propeller may be set at any suitable depth in the water which is permitted by the length of the shaft and the height of the boat above the water line. Above the motor support bracket is generally provided a motor control and directional indicator to enable the fishermen or other users to control lateral orientation of the motor relative to the boat. In many, if not most cases, foot or hand operated electrical controls are provided which are easily accessible by the user so that fishing or other desired activities can be conducted continuously while the trolling motor mechanism is selectively energized and steered to propel the boat.
Many motor support brackets are provided with mechanisms that enable the trolling motor and shaft to be stowed above the level of the water in a generally horizontal position when not in use. Those trolling motor mounts that are adapted to be fixed to the bow of the boat are generally quite complex and expensive because the bow of small fishing and pleasure boats is not ordinarily provided with a trolling motor mounting bracket. The motor mount for bow mounted trolling motors is quite complex in construction because motor support positioning and stowage is typically built into the mount. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,915,417, 3,948,472 and 4,033,530 are exemplary of complex bow mounts for trolling motors. Some of these trolling motor mount mechanisms additionally enable pivoting or other movement of portions of the trolling motor mechanism in the event a submerged object is struck. For the most part, however, these mechanisms are quite complex in nature and are quite expensive. Therefore, in order to minimize the expense of trolling motors for boats, even though bow mounted trolling motors are preferable to the stern mounted type from the standpoint of boat control, many fishermen and other small boat users employ very simple and low cost trolling motor assemblies that incorporate simple clamp type motor support brackets which are designed for clamped assembly to the transom at the stern of a boat.
In most cases clamp type stern mounting brackets, in the operative position of the trolling motor, fix the trolling motor with its shaft disposed in substantially vertical position so that the motor shaft is rotatable relative to its mounting bracket but not pivotal. These types of non-pivotal trolling motor mount mechanisms, though being of quite simple and low cost nature, do not provide any protection against shaft bending or motor damage when a submerged object is struck. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a trolling motor mount that is not a component part of a trolling motor mechanism and which is capable of providing yieldable protective support for virtually all types of trolling motor mechanisms to thereby provide the trolling motor with protective yielding pivotal movement when a submerged object is struck to minimize the possibility of damage to the trolling motor. It is also desirable to provide a trolling motor mount that is adapted to support a wide range of trolling motor types including those of simple stern mounted design and those of more complex bow mounted design whether mounted at the bow or stern of a boat.
It should be born in mind that most fishing activities that utilize trolling motor mechanisms for boat propulsion are conducted in conditions where it is very likely that the trolling motor will strike a submerged object such as a submerged tree, log, shoal, etc. Trolling motor damage such as the bending of trolling motor shafts when submerged objects are struck is a common occurrence that requires expensive repair of the trolling motor. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a trolling motor mount that effectively permits pivotal yielding movement of the trolling motor when a submerged object is struck to thereby minimize the possibility of damaging the trolling motor or bending the trolling motor shaft.
In the event a submerged object is encountered it is also desirable to provide a motor protection mounting system that permits automatic braking of the boat so that the boat, though traveling slowly, will be brought to a full stop in a relatively short distance and in a manner that does not overstress the motor shaft or other components of the trolling motor mechanism.